Mickey Linden

Mickey Linden

Personal information
Sport	Gaelic football
Position	Corner forward
Born	Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Club(s)
Years	Club
19xx-	Mayobridge
Club Titles
Down titles	8
Inter-county(ies)
Years	County
1982-2003	Down
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles	2
All Irelands	2
NFL	1
All Stars	1

Michael Rory "Mickey" Linden is an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for Down in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. He was part of the Down team that won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 1991 and 1994.^[1] Linden also won two Ulster Senior Football Championships and a National League title with Down. In 1994 he also won an All Star award and named Texaco Footballer of the Year.

He usually played as a corner forward. He was renowned for his speed,^[1][2] "electrifying skills", turn of foot and accuracy in front of the posts with both feet.^[2] He "tore defences apart with his pace and scoring power"^[2] and "took the best back lines to the cleaners".^[3] Linden is among the top twenty all-time top Ulster scorers in Championship football. His understanding with Down play-maker Greg Blaney has been described as "near telepathic".^[3]

Linden is known as one of the Down's best ever footballers.^[2] In 2009 to mark the 125th anniversary of the Gaelic Athletic Association he was named by The Irish News as one of the all-time best 125 footballers from Ulster.^[3]

Personal life

Linden is from Mayobridge, County Down. Professionally he works as a Driving Test examiner in nearby Newry.

Playing career career

Club

Linden plays club football for Mayobridge. He has won the Down Senior Football Championship on 8 occasions with the club in 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008. He has also been beaten finalist twice in the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship.

Inter-county

Minor & Under 21

Linden currently plays in the Mayobridge Reserves

Senior

Linden made his Down Senior debut in 1982.^[1] In 1983 he won the National Football League with the county.^[3] Down reached the 1986 Ulster Senior Football Championship final, but were beaten by Tyrone.^[4]

In 1991 he won his first Ulster Championship medal,^[3] with Down beating Donegal in the decider. Down defeated Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final, before beating Meath in the All-Ireland final. The success was Down's first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title since 1968.^[3]

Linden won a second Ulster Championship medal with Down in 1994 - overcoming Tyrone comfortably in the decider.^[4] Victories over Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final and Dublin in the final gave Linden another All-Ireland Senior medal. For his performances that year he received an All Star award and named Texaco Footballer of the Year.^[3]

Linden reached further Ulster finals with Down in 1996, 1999 and 2003, in 2003 down where very unlucky in the ulster final in the last minute Peter Cavavan dived in the box and scored the plenty down lost the replay.^{[citation needed]} but the county were beat on each occasion. He retired from inter-county football in 2003 .

Province

Honours

Club

Inter-county

• All-Ireland Senior Football Championship:
  • Winner (2): 1991, 1994
• Ulster Senior Football Championship:
  • Winner (2): 1991, 1994
  • Runner up: 1996, 1999, 2003
• Ulster Under-21 Football Championship:
  • Winner (2): 1984, 1985
• Ulster Minor Football Championship:

   winner      1983 

• • Runner Up: 1982
• National Football League:
  • Winner (1): 1983
  • Runner up: 1990 2003 div 2

Province

Individual

• All Star:
  • Winner (1): 1994
• Texaco Footballer of the Year:
  • Winner (1): 1994

Athletics

In 2009 Linden joined Dunleer Athletics Club,^[1] at the behest of former Tyrone footballer Patsy Forbes.^[1] Later that year at the age of 46 and six years after retiring from inter-county football - Linden added to his All-Ireland medal haul.^[1] In the 2009 Irish Over-45 Championships in Tullamore, Offaly he won two golds and a silver in the 45-50 category.^[1] He was first in both the 100 metres and long jump and finished runner-up in the 200 metres.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} Archer, Bimpe (20 August 2009). "Down GAA legend bags gold on athletics track". The Irish News: p. 1. http://www.irishnews.com/appnews/540/5860/2009/8/20/625436_391170189097DownGAAl.html. Retrieved 20 August 2009. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "Ulster's 125 - Down shortlist". The Irish News. February 2009. http://irishnews125.blogspot.com/2009/02/125-down-player-list.html. Retrieved 17 August 2009. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} "Ulster's 125 - The province's 125 best footballers since 1884". The Irish News. 20 March 2009. http://www.irishnews.com/125/125flip.html. Retrieved 17 August 2009. 
4. ^ ^{a b} McSherry, Ronan (5 June 2008). "Mourne great Blaney recalls some past Red Hand tussles". The Strabane Chronicle. http://www.nwipp-newspapers.com/SC/free/344473631394717.php. Retrieved 18 August 2009. ^{[dead link]}

External links

• Interview with Hogan Stand magazine
• Official Down GAA website

Persondata
Name	Linden, Mickey
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth
Place of birth	Newry, County Down
Date of death
Place of death